Brathwait “Classic Slim” Wrist Watches

Brathwait “Classic Slim” Wrist Watches

We’ve written about Daniel Wellington watches several times here on T&T, and we still love their elegant simplicity, but we realize that they’re on the pricey side for what you get. Luckily, a competitor brand called Brathwait offers a similar line of watches (dubbed “Classic Slim”) that are more affordable and of a higher build quality.

Whereas DW’s watches use a flat mineral crystal cover, Brathwait’s all sport 1.9mm-thick domed sapphire glass, which is far more durable and scratch-resistant. (This crystal has an anti-reflective coating that gives off a pleasant blue tint from certain angles.) Brathwait watches are also more water-resistant than DW ones, at a max of 100 meters vs 30 meters, respectively. Both brands use quartz movements — Swiss for Brathwait and Japanese for DW — but the jury’s still out on which is actually better.

One thing I like about Brathwait is that their site breaks down the prices of the individual components that go into their watches, like so:

Now, Brathwait’s nylon straps have no direct analogs to DW’s NATO lineup in terms of style, but I will say my personal favorite is the classic slim with “azur” strap($159), which has that rose gold design I love but at a more affordable price than DW’s $195. Similarly, their leather strap 40mm models — such as the Marron — come in at $189 vs DW’s $229.